It has been a while since I shared any photographs from the Brain Melting Colorado Yard, so let’s return to the amazing yard near Colorado Springs that gave us the Horizon Blue ’49 Kaiser and the ’41 Nash Airflyte. Here’s a ’57 Chrysler that’s destined to be shipped to Sweden in the near future.The Swedes love big American cars with lots of fins and chrome, and so this car and many others near it will be dismantled and shipped to Scandinavia by a couple of Swedish restorers who make a yearly pilgrimage to the Brain Melting Yard.The proprietor of the yard asked me to refrain from opening the hood on this car, because the hood hinges are rusty and it might be impossible to close the hood without bending the sheet metal. That means I can’t tell you for sure what engine is in this car, though I’m pretty sure it should be a 354 Poly.Everyone thinks about Cadillacs when they picture dramatic tailfins of the late 1950s, but Chrysler made some of the wildest fins of the period. Check out the thickness of these things!

Hello I recently bought an old farm very isolated, It was last owned by a hermit Physicist, he had an airstrip built on the farm. while learning my new land I came across a hoard of old cars, all in good shape for the years, there is a line of Windsor Deluxe full cars no dents Engines look like they have never been worked on. there are 8-9 of them very surprising good bodies much better looking than the junkyard find above, also there were 9 early Lincolns with the suicide doors also all parts and engines there are more I have not got to yet. I am not a huge car guy so I will not be restoring any but would like to get advise from a pro if I should sell them as a whole or part them out, all the chrome is still on all of them bumpers and all, also there are a few old Chevy’s with the chrome Chevrolet embolden on the front grill of a few I looked at, anyone interested my email is Burneyfamilyfarm@aol.com thanks
Also the years are 1950-1960 on all of them

I currently have a 1957 New Yorker that I am restoring but I have not been able to find the medallion for the hood. The chrome ring section is Ok but the center piece is so badly damaged you can not even tell what it should look like. If someone out there has one let me know.
thanks

Something that’s always forgotten is how attractive the low-end “Forward Look” Chrysler’s were, with their (relative) lack of chrome and goo-gaws allowing the styling to shine through. The Chrysler Windsor, Plymouth Plaza, and De Soto Firedome(?) all made their higher price brethren look grossly overdone. Dodge? Sorry, that was the only failure in that lineup. The only thing that made them look good was a crusher.

Agreed ~ although not a huge Chrysler fan , I’ve had a few , notably the pristine 1958 Plymouth Plaza a Widower brang to my shop in 1975 after it’s original Little Old Lady from Pasadena died , baby blue , no radio , not even a heater ! flathead L6 engine and a two speed automatic , it narrowly missed being used in the movie ” Christine ” .

All in all it was a nice (huge) reliable if slow two door sedan .
-Nate

Just because you couldn’t burn rubber in it doesn’t mean it was a slouch ~ the final drive ratio was very low so it got up to 50 MPH pretty fast but then ran out of RPM’s ~ Flat Heads you know : that’s the elephant in the living room no one who loves Flat Heads ever wants to talk about : you can’t rev. ‘em on the open road as they’ll overheat & cook to death quickly .

BTW : if the Swedes like ” Bay Window ” vans , I have a 1968 VW # 211 Panel Truck , this is the first year of Bay Windows , it has a brand new twin port 1600 C.C. engine , Rancho Rebuilt tranny , all new brakes , new steering box and drag link , new seats and current tags & title . drive it to the port .

Back in the early to mid 1970’s we used to import unwanted Vintage VW’s from all over Europe .

When did four doors become so taboo and unworthy? I’ll take mine with four doors any day. Coupe prices are ridiculously over inflated for pretty much the same drivetrain/suspension. Not worth the extra cost if you ask me. Granted, no one wants a four door Chrysler anything anyways. I am sure this one will be a donor.

Wow, this one looks complete, except for the taillight lenses, sadly, those, and the bulbs got broken out, but the rest of the body looks very restorable.

Don’t know how complete it is inside, but I’m guessing it’s been sun blasted over the decades though, as the paint rightfully shows.

Love the color combo, black over sky blue.

While I love the exuberance that was the 1950’s, early 60’s, I like where designers went during the later 60’s and in the 70’s, especially for the European and Japanese cars, but some US Iron looked good too, even though mechanically speaking, most of what Detroit etc made back then was utter junk.

So “free” Americans can no longer afford to restore old cars, because the 99% are now broke-ass losers, but SOCIALIST Swedes have enough spare cash to fly across the Atlantic, and then across a continent, to hunt down decrepit old American iron to feed their old car hobby? The Swedes for God’s sake! These people are to the left of Ralph Nader! I mean, come on, they have freedom hating universal health care and free education! And unlike Texas, it’s illegal to sell machine guns at Swedish 7-11s!

So how’s that predatory capitalism working out for you, Mr. & Mrs. America? But worry, you may not have jobs, houses, medical care of decent food, but Mitt promises never, ever, ever to take away your 100 round AR-15 drums.

These are 4 door sedans that nobody in the US can be bothered with. It is more of a concern that our scrap iron is headed to China, which it is doing because of our left wing labor unions and EPA that are making us an unfriendly place for capitalism. Don’t worry. You’ll get to see the results of your political indoctrination in the coming months, even if you’ll blame someone as culpable as this old Mopar for your fate.

This is about leverage, and we haven’t much anymore since the United States was deliberately de-industrialized from the late 70s through 2000. Whether we like it or not its a global economy now and we have to compete… oh an the EPA has been out of control for decades it wouldn’t hurt us much to return to 1990 levels of EPA standards.

I’m sure there are a lot of Americans who like them too. Unfortunately, one needs both the will and the means. Americans no longer have the means, as foreigners (communists like the Chinese, and socialists like the Swedes) pick over the great American rummage sale. But hey, that’s “free trade”, first we exported our industries, then we bought like drunken sailors using IOUs, and now we export our scrap and junk hoping to get enough to buy a burger.

Of course, what’s really fun in the cheapies is getting the three-on-the-tree instead of the push button automatic. For some reason I still remember riding with dad when he took out a ’57 DeSoto on an appraisal drive – I think it was something like 1963 or 64, and the DeSoto was trashed.

+10. Ronnie you just described the true essence of socialism – it is a parasite society which exists as long as “free capitalism” is able to generate profits and continue tax payments. Many of so called 90% think that handouts they get every month are “Obama money”. There are no such a thing as “Obama money” – these are corporate profits confiscated from efficient use in real economy and redirected for pure consumption. After free economy is destroyed there will be no “Obama money” – riot and occupy as long as you want.

China is more “free capitalist society” than USA ever was in 20th century. And Swedes are more pragmatic and responsible than most of Americans, It is Nordic nation united by national identity. What works in Sweden will not work in United States. E.g. in Sweden they have well thought voucher school system. The word “well thought” does not apply to US laws, regulations and politicians in general. Without this Nordic “well thought” part socialist reforms in US will fail what is already happening if you did not notice it yet. US is more like Spain than Sweden.

Read P.J. O’Rourke’s Eat The Rich. He looks at the conundrum of Sweden and concludes that the only successful socialist countries are already rich, with substantial industrial and commercial bases that can create the wealth consumed by socialism. I first started my embroidery business with a consumer machine made by Viking Husqvarna, which has been in business for something like 300 years. There are the Wallenbergs and other wealthy families.

Still, as Lady Thatcher said, sooner or later socialists start running out of other people’s money. From what I’ve read, Scandinavia has been moving to the right.

As for Americans being “broke-ass losers”, if a conservative said that you’d be crying that he’s unpatriotic and hates Americans. I go to car shows almost every Sunday from May till September and I see lots and lots of restored cars, restored and owned by Americans.

Frankly, I prefer predatory capitalists to predatory public employees and bureaucrats. The cohort of people that any predatory capitalist can prey upon is much smaller than the cohort of people who can be abused by government.

Perhaps ironically, what those Swedes are chasing is the image of a big, bold America, unfettered and free, flying down the highway.

“Perhaps ironically, what those Swedes are chasing is the image of a big, bold America, unfettered and free, flying down the highway.”

The car you see in the pictures was produced with union labor, well paid union labor, with health care benefits, and defined benefit pension plans. Those cars were operated on the new interstate freeway system….those freeways were built by Mitt Romney and private equity….er, I mean federal tax dollars provided by the Eisenhower administration….you know, Eisenhower….the big commie Republican. And the workers who built those highways were union as well, with health care benefits.

Well, I won’t have any of that socialism! The highway system needs to privatized ASAP, and tolls put on every road in America, because those roads all rightfully belong to millionaire job creators. Yup, where do you get off using those road for free? And private companies, like Chrysler should never be taxed, or regulated in any way. Chrysler is a private corporation, and according to Mittens it’s a person, although I’ve never seen Texas fry a corporation in the electric chair…anywho, when it comes to corporations, profits are PRIVATE, but losses are public because everyone knows that corporate losses are caused by hippie commies stinking of patchouli oil!

Wages were going up in America long before most of industry was organized by the labor movement. Henry Ford, not the AFL-CIO, gave us the 8 hour day and the weekend – not out of the kindness of his heart but rather so he could run 3 shifts a day and if need be run 24/7. Ford also provided health care benefits at least 20 years before the Battle of the Rouge Overpass in 1937. The $5/day wage he introduced was actually part of an overall trend of rising wages in the early 20th century. It was only after the Wagner Act of 1935 tilted the playing field in favor of unions that the auto industry was organized. Before Ford, E.I. DuPont pretty much invented the notion of employee life insurance and workplace safety (he made gunpowder). If a union boss in the 1950s had to choose between a hand fed punch press operated by two men vs a safe machine with a single operator, does anyone think he’d go with the safer route and one less person paying union dues? If you do think so, I know of a lovely ’57 Mopar for sale with just the barest hint of rust.

But, hey, if you’re going to give the unions credit for the affluence of the 1950s, they have to take some blame for the deep recession of 1957-58 that was pretty much caused by the UAW’s strike against GM. Also, while the engineers and designers and bean counters share the blame, the ’57 Mopars had notoriously bad quality.

” Those cars were operated on the new interstate freeway system….those freeways were built by Mitt Romney and private equity….er, I mean federal tax dollars provided by the Eisenhower administration….you know, Eisenhower….the big commie Republican.”

What you fail to mention is that the Interstate highway system was in part justified by its military implications and defense is unquestionably part of the federal government’s constitutional roles. In fact, just about every example some statist like you cites as a successful government “investment” that bore fruit in the economy, like the space race and the internet, actually had a strong tie to defense.

So how did we get from there to the feds spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year buying radio and tv ads to tell us to visit national forests and wear our seat belts? We could eliminate half of Washington and most Americans wouldn’t notice the difference.

“And the workers who built those highways were union as well, with health care benefits.”

Not necessarily, though the Davis Bacon Act probably made it likely. We should repeal that legislation since it prevents competition and drives up the cost of road building. Why should unions dictate prevailing wages?

“The highway system needs to privatized ASAP, and tolls put on every road in America, because those roads all rightfully belong to millionaire job creators.”

That’s a hoot considering that the current government owned roads charge tolls to give money to public employees. Just who owns those roads anyhow?

“Yup, where do you get off using those road for free?”

I think it’s a safe bet to say there are way more toll roads in “blue” states than in “red”. You’re the guys calling for more taxes and more fees.

” And private companies, like Chrysler should never be taxed, or regulated in any way.”

And statists like you want the same money taxed when it’s invested (there are calls for per financial transaction taxes on investments and banking and those calls are not coming from the right), when a company earns a profit on that investment, when those profits are distributed to stockholders as dividends, then again when those stockholders’ die and their estates are taxed.

Just how many times will you tax the same money?

What is the moral justification for a sales tax? Why should you be allowed to tax a private transaction between me and a third party?

Nobody is calling for an end to all regulations but the truth is that the EPA is out of control in a dangerously unconstitutional manner. There are reasons why Congress is in charge and letting executive branch agencies run roughshod over Americans by executive order and regulations are just plain wrong.

“Chrysler is a private corporation, and according to Mittens it’s a person,”

So if I pick some kind of childish, mocking name for Mr. Obama, will you promise not to call me a racist?

For the matter, your beloved labor unions are also corporations and they give way more money to politicians than business corporations do.

I think private sector workers have a right to form a union. In America there is freedom of association. You also have rights to contract. However, you don’t have the right to force me to contract with you. There’s a word for that, extortion.

Public sector unions are a whole different kettle o’ fish. FDR and George Meaney opposed them with good reason. Public employees do not have the right to blackmail the public over public services, something the Chicago teachers are doing right now.

I may not love the UAW but UAW shops don’t have an 80% rejection rate on the components they make. Only 20% of Chicago 8th graders can read at grade level. But let’s give the teachers a raise and create the fictional American “right” to collective bargaining out of whole, but union made, cloth.

” although I’ve never seen Texas fry a corporation in the electric chair…”

Actually, corporations die and are killed all of the time, but when was the last time you heard of a government agency actually ceasing to exist (the names change but the bureaucracy endures)? When was the last time you heard of a prosecutor filing charges against a government agency as they do against corporations?

“anywho, when it comes to corporations, profits are PRIVATE, but losses are public because everyone knows that corporate losses are caused by hippie commies stinking of patchouli oil!”

Everyone knows that corporate success, as Mr. Obama and Elizabeth Warren, like to remind us, is because of all the things provided for by government. As Mr. Obama said to business owners, “You didn’t build that!” Funny, though, they never want to take the blame for any business failure. Statists want to own our successes and blame someone else for our failures.

A business can only steal from a limited set of people. The government can steal from everyone.

“Limbaugh bless.”

Right, I get all my news from Rush Limbaugh and Fox News (lefty shorthand for “wing nuts can’t think for themselves”). ATT U-Verse made Fox News a premium channel so I don’t watch it. Perhaps Fox is a victim of their own rating success or perhaps ATT is trying to curry favor with the administration. The telecommunications industry is regulated.

I rarely listen to Limbaugh, actually only when lefties make a stink about him. I prefer Dennis Miller and Dennis Prager, who are on opposite Rush’s time slot. I think that Limbaugh is a master of the microphone, he gets radio in ways that many don’t and he’s very good at what he does, but he’s never really appealed to me. If I want red meat, I listen to Mark Levin, though he could be a bit less abrasive to callers.

It’d be nice to argue with a lefty who doesn’t resort to bumper sticker slogans. What ever happened to smart lefties like Psar?

What the hell are you talking about? It’s not like Americans have STOPPED restoring cars, there’s at least three or four restoration shops within 10 miles of my house, and they’re all doing brisk business. Its just that vintage American cars also happen to be enjoying a bit of popularity overseas as well, right now, they’re the hot thing in Sweden, 20 years ago, they were a “must have” fashion accessory in Japan.

I look at what Americans are collecting and restoring today, and it seems to be pretty uniformly muscle cars and pony cars from the mid 1960s through early 1970s. These days, it seems, American hobbyists just aren’t as interested in ’40s and ’50s models – the generation that was into them here is really starting to die off, and the Baby Boomer and Gen Xers just aren’t as interested in fins and chrome.

At least someone, somewhere, is interested in restoring and preserving these things, instead of crushing them into scrap and shipping them to Alabama to become Hyundais.

Even when 1950s cars really were popular with American restorers (ca. 1970s-1990s), 4-doors and wagons never got any love at all. They were generally only used as parts cars to restore 2-doors, and the 4-door shells were crushed when they had nothing usable left on them. If Swedes want to restore the sedans that we’ve never appreciated in the first place, more power to them.

If you look at the photo of the Chrysler from the right-rear 1/4 panel view, behind the Ford tow truck looks like a late ’50’s Imperial with the front sheet metal cut off, and maybe a ’60-’61 Chrysler sedan a little more complete, but with the deck lid missing. And, yes, I saw the DeSoto next to this Chrysler.

Call him Virgil Excess, but the ’57 Mopars were outstanding examples of good design. Yeah, some of them are a little, as my father would say, ungepatchked, tarted up, but in general there is a great purity of line and proportion to those cars. Put a ’57 Chevy or ’57 Cadillac next to a ’57 Fury or a ’57 Chrysler 300 and the GM cars look a bit overdone (I prefer the ’55 Chevy to the ’57). The ’57 Fords are also underrated. It’s likely that the massive nostalgic popularity of the ’57 Chevy has overshadowed that year’s offerings from the other domestic makers.

I love to attend vintage Mopar events, and it’s always fun to see the tail-finned models in restored condition. Most of the owners have only one vehicle that they have restored over a long period of time. Doing a restoration on that basis spreads the cost over time, but requires a place to store the vehicle. Many of the dedicated budget a yearly amount to spend on their project, to avoid conflicts with living expenses. Starting to see more sedans & wagons at these events, too.
It’s not a cheap hobby, but it can be managed if you have the desire to put some old metal back on the road.

Amen. I never understood the enamor of the ‘iconic’ ’57 Chevy when the ’55 and even ’56 had such clean lines and non-clutter.

It’s a shame the ’57 Mopars were rushed to the market, with the end result such abysmal quality that it took Chryco years to climb even semi-back.

It’s interesting reading the political comments. I’ve deduced that car restoration and collecting and its slow demise has to do with our changing times and the technological age. Sure, it takes money (and it always has)….it’s more a question of waning interest. Hell, my 18-year-old nephew really has no interest in getting his license anytime soon, and is perfectly happy absorbing his mom’s 10-year-old Lexus when he goes off to school next year. His older brother, however, can do the same “Name that car at 300 yards” down to the model year like I did when younger.

My annual ‘mancation’ to an out of town auto auction is much fun for me….but the collectors/speculators have skewed older and older for the last 20 years. Meanwhile, give me $35,000 and I’d walk by the pristine ’69 Mustang convertible (my favorite classic year Mustang) and visit my Ford dealer for a new one. Much more drivable, powerful and safer, as well as something I could enjoy every day.

I read someplace that the greater popularity of the ’57 Chevy over the ’55 and ’56 had something to do with the “gunsights” down the hood, the left one lined up with the driver. The earlier years, especially the 55, didn’t have as good a look out over the hood. Don’t know if this is true or not…not that familiar with these cars.

Otoh, I liked my 1958 Belvedere convertible, my 1957 New Yorker 4-door hardtop, and all the other finned Chrysler products I’ve had over the years. I prefer their styling to anything else that was available at the time.

There are younger people into old cars, you just have to look in the right places. Most of us don’t like the traditional hot rod show scene where the older folks snub their noses since our cars aren’t super nice.

I’m 27, have two younger brothers, one 23, one about to turn 17.
As my name suggests, I’m a VW guy, have driven aircooled VWs since I got my learner’s permit at 15. My 23 year old brother was perfectly content with the hand me down ’93 Explorer, no real interest in cars other than transportation. My youngest brother, just started driving a ’61 Beetle to high school, also has a ’62 VW Bus he’s slowly working to get back on the road.

Just a side note, many of my car friends my age or younger who are into Detroit iron typically prefer 4-door cars. They’re cheaper and look longer and more “gangster” when they are lowered.
Matter of fact, I have a friend who has a ’57 Plymouth moredoor.

Where did I mention chopped roofs and primer paint?
But just a side note, isn’t that what people have been doing for decades?

People I hang with leave the body stock, loving original paint patina look and simply doing a slight lowering job with some rims.
We also hate the stereotypical “throw a 350 in it, modern velour seats, tilt GM column, digital gauge and pastel paint” that seems to be still popular with the over 60 set despite that every car looks like it jumped out of Hot Rod magazine in 1985.
Of course, that crowd snubs their noses because we don’t have these show perfect shiny cars.

You’re right, I would not look at a 20 something guy, and think, he’s into ’50’s Chryslers, so get your friends who have cars like this, and ask them to take them to shows. And no, they don’t have to be perfect. If they can get their cars to the shows, I’m sure the folks attending will appreciate seeing them. Sometimes, seeing a ‘survivor’, unrestored car tops seeing a fresh restoration, to me.

As for your Beetle habit, you’re an amateur. I’ve had a ’64, a ’66, ’67, and a ’68 sunroof model. I started with a 1962, what today would be called a certified pre-owned, from a VW dealer. Being young, you’ll appreciated this; I saw this car on the dealer lot, was checking it out visually, when a salesman came up, and asked the typical, ‘can I help you’. I asked him if I could get the keys to drive it. He said, ‘sure, why don’t you go home, and get your parents, and I’ll do that.’ One, I was about 3000 miles from home, starting college. Two, I had the asking price in cash in my pocket. So, I took off to look at more cars, but I came back to buy that ’62, but this time I asked for another salesman.

As for your statement that buying four door old cars is the cheapest way to get into the hobby, Hemmings Classic Car magazine made that very point about a year ago in one of their issues. They also used to run a column about 16-25 year olds who were into old American cars, but it looks like they discontinued that recently, don’t ask me why.

My biggest pet-peeve on the ‘gangsta’ look is seeing the appearance of an otherwise well preserved, original, classic car ruined by the installation of chrome ‘double-dubs’ wheels/tires. Nothing looks more like a juvenile ‘Hot Wheels’ car more than that.

You and I are on the same page, what’s with those double dub wheels. Promise me Volksman that you’ll talk any of your friends who are contemplating a set of those out of installing them. Just a simple request. Please?

Of all of the places to see them on a car, I was in London recently, and I saw a set on a Escalade. I think it was owned by an American soldier serving near there.

In addition to my reply to Syke’s comment above, a friend of my mom drove a mid-50’s Ford. I think it may have been a customline, but it was basic as basic could be – and beautiful. Two-tone blue & white, coupe, stick, 6 cyl., a wonderful car that I loved to ride in on occasion. I would have owned it in a minute if I were old enough at the time!

She – mom’s friend – took exquisite care of that car and it always looked practically new.

Ok, snakebit, what the hell? Amateur? I might be 27 but I’ve been into Volkswagens as far back as I can remember. It started with a junk ’59 Euro Beetle my grandfather bought when I was three years old. I’d sit on a 5 gallon bucket and pretend to drive it way back then. Where is that car now? It’s sitting in my driveway next to my ’63 Microbus, both running, driving cars. I’ve owned nearly 20 VWs, one BMW and one Ford. I whittled it down to two VWs and a Ford pickup because I learned, among other things, that 2 cars are much easier to manage than 10.
When I go to local meets, I often know more than people twice my age. I have older folks asking ME to work on their cars.
Nearly every vintage VW I’ve bought came out of a junkyard, backyard, barn, field, had to cut down three trees to get one of them out and I got them alive again. And no, mommmy and daddy didn’t pay for it, I did. They didn’t fix it either, I did.
So don’t call me an amateur. Young, yes, amateur no.

Furthermore, I love just about anything 1970s-back. Big Detroit land yachts, European sports cars, if it’s from the pre-smog times, I dig it.
Everyone has different tastes, I just wish more people would understand this. When the rat ride/patina/hoodride whatever you want to call it, took over, one friend of mine, in his 50s said “I wouldn’t be caught dead in that style car, but it gets the kids into old VWs so it’s ok with me.”
That’s the mentality I like to see.
Don’t complain about kids not being into old cars and then bitch about the ones that are.
I guess the gangster comment conjured up images of cars on 26″ wheels and such. That’s not what I meant, I think that stuff looks stupid.
This is what I meant, a buddy’s old galaxie.
http://s1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa328/eurobug59/?action=view&current=25906_404811693981_6199970_n.jpg

Ryoku75,
We both agreed that it’s a combination of sarcasm not coming across in type and me taking things a little too seriously sometimes, which I admit to doing.
I’m really laid back in person, haha.

I always thought that the Chrysler styling of the 1957 era looked so much better on the 4 door sedans be they a bottom of the barrel Plymouth Plaza or an Imperial than they did on the 2 or 4door hardtops or convertibles . As far as what led to the Interstate system , I always heard it was Eisenhower being impressed with Adolf’s autobahn system during WW2 . As per the political rants expressed above I don’t know how anyone could think that a clueless flip-flopping rich boob or a product of Chicago’s notoriously corrupt political system are capable of changing the status quo or improving anything . Can’t wait to see these guys debate next month- I wouldn’t expect the Lincoln/ Douglas debate with these guys .

Before the 383 was ready for production, Chrysler utilized a 354 Spitfire on on the battle wagon Windsors – The 354 and 383 were less costly to produce than the 1st generation hemis. So, different heads, crankshaft, pistons, camshaft and carburetion than a hemi.

If Murilee had opened the hood he probably found a two barrel carburetor.

‘The 315 was a Dodge engine. It would eventually become the 318.’ Absolutely. Sorry, i’m surrounded by ‘rice’ all day, and am thus a bit rusty on my old school domestics.

I was thinking of my buddy’s old ’56 Dodge P/U that had a 3pd manual (correct me if i’m wrong?) and yes, the 315. He found it in a field back in about Y2K, rebuilt the carb (to my fellow Gen Why’ers, wikipedia ‘carburetor’ lol), and put in a new gas tank. Some fresh oil in the motor, and she fired right up.

I still remember when gas first hit $2/gal, and as this was his daily driver at the time, he was a bit pissed off. I still laugh about that. P.S., it got 7mpg lmao!

All political issues aside, I am glad that this Chrysler will be saved by somebody. The biggest issue for me has always been the lack of respect for more-doors in the collector car world. A Forward Look survivor from any model is a rare visitor to car shows, and I attend a lot of shows every year. Good on the Swedes for saving this car.

The comment about being an amateur, it was meant purely as a joke. If you think I’m insulting you again, call me on it right here.

My view towards this TTAC group, from what I’ve read the last few months, and I’m relatively new here, is that it’s used by a lot of very smart people, and you’re NOT the exception, and age doesn’t generally enter into much. Again, if you’re insulted, feel talked down to by me, or in any way feel slighted, let me know.

There are some times when I’ll correct someone who’s putting out wrong information, as I had to do about Murilee’s recent find of an Opel GT in a wrecking yard, where some misinformed poster who evidently wasn’t around when the cars were on the market characterized them as POS’s from the get go that no one wanted.

I’m not the moderator, I’m trying not to make out that I’m the final arbitrator, I’m not trying to come off as smarter than everyone else. If this was on Skype, and you could see me make that ‘amateur’ comment, you’d see that my tongue was firmly in my cheek.

I think the 4X4 crowd is saving a lot of old iron nowadays. This is of course out of necesity as the market has pretty well abandoned the type of vehicles we desire nowadays.

Granted, these aren’t concours restos, but they are keeping a lot of iron on the road (and trail) that would otherwise be crusher bound. If it has a solid front axle, good suspension travel, and most of the body is there then it’s probably worth saving to the offroad crowd.

Agreed, the market for 20-40 year old 4x4s is gaining strength. The last few years have arguably been a golden age for sports and muscle cars but 4×4 enthusiasts have been left out in the cold.

It is amazing to behold the amount of work that owners are willing to put into repairing rusty, worn out trucks that are worth little in today’s market. I suspect their time and effort will pay off over the next 5 years or so as these vehicles continue to climb in value.

Agreed, the market for 20-40 year old 4x4s is gaining strength. The last few years have arguably been a golden age for sports and muscle cars but 4×4 enthusiasts have been left out in the cold.

It is amazing to behold the amount of work that owners are willing to put into repairing rusty, worn out trucks that are worth little in today’s market. I suspect their time and effort will pay off over the next 5 years or so as these vehicles continue to climb in value.”

God I hope not ~ every time the tossers decide another old thing is ” collectable & valuable ” they screw it up for al the real Vintage Enthusiasts .
-Nate

I became aware of this Swedish desire for finned Detroit iron first hand a couple of years ago. We took a ’57 Chevy (210 mid level trim, 2-door post, 283/PG, the most common one produced) that I had restored twenty years earlier to an auto swap meet to sell. I got twice what I thought it was worth.

I’ve looked at one of these every day for 8 years, in my neighbors driveway. It can start but doesn’t drive. Sometimes it is covered but most times not. He is some days convinced he will restore it, other days not willing to sell it because he is convinced it is worth a lot of money.

Post contact information for the Swedes. His is in much better shape than the Brain Melting Yard example and if they could offer him enough money I am sure he would change his mind.